Forecast 
The main instruments are sited over short-cut grass within Valentine city limits, NE side (2,578' elevation). Distance to the now closed NWS Office is (1.58 miles), with a minus (14 foot) elevation difference. 'Station Image' . Four large cottonwood trees were removed from this location for better exposure. The nearby propane tank, painted gloss white, doesn't produce heat. The website forecast is provided by the North Platte NWS forecast office.
Website real-time weather conditions are powered by a Davis Instruments, Vantage Pro2 weather station with modifications like the automatic rain gauge, the Texas Electronics TR-525USWH 8" Heated Tipping Bucket (NWS approved), with a manual 8" diameter NWS SRG used as the primary.
Air temperature is measured with a custom (FARS) fan aspirated radiation shield, dual set up for redundancy. The Fan in each shield draws 51.0 CFM air flow across temperature/humidity sensor and exhaust out top of shield. The fan is rated down to -40C so even works during arctic conditions. This constant draw of fresh air across the sensor increases ambient air temperature accuracy vs a passive shield. There is also a passive shield available during power outages. The anemometer is roof mast-mounted, with excellent wind exposure NW through WSW, lesser other directions due to neighboring tree obstruction as you can see from the street image.
NWS Cooperative Observations for Valentine are taken here, they include 24-hour precipitation, daily high and low temperatures, utilizing the MMTS and the 8" SRG. Snowfall measurements every six hours are additional during snowy months.
Valentine incorporated as a village in 1884, is named for Edward K. Valentine who as a congressman from Nebraska was the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture during his six years in office. He was instrumental in getting local settlers' grievances redressed by the federal government. Source: The Lincoln Journal Star once termed Valentine "The Toughest Town in Nebraska."
In 2007, National Geographic Adventure magazine included Valentine in its list of the best ten wilderness towns and citiesWith a humid continental climate, Valentine experiences extremes of heat and cold annually. Winters can be extreme with multiple blizzards like (2022-2023) and cold blast dipping into the -30s F range. The monthly daily average temperature, Period of Record : 07/01/1889 to 06/10/2016 from 20.9 F in January to 74.4 F in July, while there are 6.7 days of 100 F + highs, 39.8 days of 90 F + highs, 46.3 days where the temperature does not rise above freezing, and 23.3 days of sub -0 F (-18C) lows.
Precipitation historically annual average is around 20 inches. The snowfall average over the 10 most recent seasons has been around 45". The least being 24" in 2014-2015 with the most 67" in 2022-2023. The area is very sunny, averaging 2,937 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extreme temperatures range from -39 F (-39C) on December 22, 1989 to 114 F (45.5C) on July 2, 1990, with recent extremes of -33F (-36C) airport February 20, 2025, and again -33F on February 15, 2021. The source for these extreme low temperatures; are cold domes of arctic high-pressure sliding south and parking directly over the area.
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